All of the following are TRUE about Neisseria gonorrhoeae, EXCEPT:

Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the venereal disease gonorrhea. They are gram negative organism. They possess pili on their surface, which facilitate adhesion of cocci to mucosal surface and promote virulence by inhibiting phagocytosis. Selective medium for their growth is Thayer - Main medium. Four types of colonies have been recognised. Type 1 and 2 are virulent and 3, 4 are non virulent cocci. This disease is acquired by sexual contact. They adhere to the mucosal surface and penetrate to the intrecellular spaces and reach the subepithelial connective tissue. In men it causes acute urethritis with mucopurulent discharge. Chronic urethritis leads to stricture formation. Infection spreads to periurethral tissues, causing abscess and multiple discharging sinuses (watercan perineum). Only non veneral infection is ophthalmia neonatorum. Gonococci produces beta lactamase, rendering penicillin treatment ineffective. Treatment: ceftriaxone 125 mg single IM dose / ciprofloxacin 500 mg single oral dose, plus doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 7 days / erythromycin 1gm single oral dose. Ref: Ananthanarayanan & Paniker's textbook of microbiology Ed 8 Pg 228.